108 replies to this topic

[Rahat Huq]

http://espn.go.com/b...ing-up-in-draft

For the past several years, Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey has been trying to package assets together to make a big deal on draft night. The 2012 draft is no different.

Sources say that Houston has discussed deals with several teams in the top 10 about moving up in the draft. And the Rockets might have found two willing partners.

Although sources stressed that no deal is imminent, Sacramento (No. 5) and Toronto (No. 8 ) have let Houston know that their top-10 selections are available. Sources say that the Rockets, in turn, have made both of their first-round picks available (No. 14 and No. 16), but the key to any trade going through could be point guard Kyle Lowry.

The Raptors have been especially fond of Lowry, who has been regarded for months as a borderline untouchable in Houston but more recently has publicly expressed his dissatisfaction with Rockets coach Kevin McHale. Whether the Rockets are indeed prepared to part with Lowry, as talks with the Kings, Raptors and other teams continue, figures to be one of the bigger stories of draft week.

What’s clear from the Rockets’ end, sources say, is the player they’re fondest of in the upper reaches of the draft: UConn big man Andre Drummond. Many scouts believe Drummond has the second highest upside of any player in the draft behind consensus No. 1 overall pick Anthony Davis, but the 7-foot, 279-pounder would almost certainly still be available at No. 5.

Drummond, as the second youngest player in the draft at 18, registered an impressive 7-foot-6 wingspan at the NBA draft combine earlier this month. Personnel experts regard him as an elite athlete and shot-blocker who moves laterally especially well. But Drummond’s inconsistent play as a freshman, combined with questions about his passion for the game, have caused his draft stock to take a slight hit in recent weeks.

The tipoff that the Kings are likely to deal the No. 5 pick between now and Thursday night, sources say, is the handful of players they’ve brought in who are expected to be drafted in the middle of the first round. Sources say two of those players in particular -- North Carolina’s John Henson and St. John’s Moe Harkless -- are high on the Kings’ draft board.

Henson has already worked out for the Kings and Harkless is scheduled to work out on Monday. Sacramento has also tried to get several other candidates for the middle of the first round, including UConn’s Jeremy Lamb and Washington’s Terrence Ross, into town for 11th-hour workouts.

UPDATE (12:48 a.m. ET): Upon hearing of Sunday night's developments, one rival general manager told ESPN.com that he believes Houston's real aim is acquiring two top-10 picks this week to turn around quickly and offer both to the Orlando Magic as part of a considerable trade offer for Dwight Howard.

The Rockets' willingness to trade for Howard -- even without the All-Star center's signature on a contract extension -- is an open secret around the league. But it's believed that two top-eight picks, assuming Houston managed to complete trades with both Sacramento and Toronto, would seriously pique the interest of new Magic general manager Rob Hennigan, who could then quickly start following the same sort of roster-building blueprint relied on by his previous employers in Oklahoma City.

Acquiring those early lottery picks, though, only represents half of Houston's challenge if Howard is indeed the Rockets' target. The other hurdle is convincing Hennigan, who hasn't even been on the job for a week in Central Florida, to part with Howard so quickly. As much as he's been schooled in building through the draft while working alongside Thunder GM Sam Presti, Hennigan could opt to take a more measured approach, make one more run at trying to convince Howard to sign an extension before entering the final year of his contract and then trade him later in the summer if those efforts go nowhere.

[Rahat Huq]

The difficult part for me is seeing what you'd use to get the "other" pick. For instance, Lowry and one of the picks for the #5 makes perfect sense. But then what do you use to get the other pick if Lowry is then gone?

The best I could come up with would be Lowry and the #18 (via Martin) to Sacramento for the #5 and then 14 and 16 to Toronto for the 8.

Lowry can get you one of the picks. How do you get the other one?

Overall though - a big risk I'm completely onboard for.

[blakecouey]

Id love to see this come to fruition. Your proposal is probably spot on too. My question is, what is the package for Dwight then? Honestly though if Orlando didn't accept we'd still be in great position with both those picks. We would also have Scola and Dalembert left over to keep, move, waive or whatever. The future could look bright.

[Rahat Huq]

That's what I was thinking too - if Orlando said no, I'd be happy with just keeping those picks and building around those guys.

The offer to Orlando would probably then be #5, #8, Marcus Morris, and Dalembert, and then an absorption of Howard with our cap space.

[Ostrow]

What is Martin's value these days? Is it only an 18? If one of the original ones doesn't work I say throw Morris/Budinger into it, then if need be, include the rights to Lull in the D-12 trade, or Patterson, or D-Mo. If we can get Howard I say do whatever it takes. I'd honestly sign and trade Dragic if need be though I doubt this would happen. But, if this deal gets done, I think it makes us a contender for CP3/J-Smooth next off-season.

[Ostrow]

Another thing I was thinking is that they could also be in talks with the Warriors. They are looking for an upgrade at the 3 and at 7 there really isn't a great fit there so we could offer Morris/Budinger/Parsons plus 14. Would be enough IMO w/ Parsons (maybe enough to get 30 also), might be enough with the other 2. Warriors do it because then their starting line-up is Curry-Thompson-Rockets SF (I'd say Morris)-Lee-Bogut. And then they could take one of the Jones' or Melo or someone like that where they don't have to reach to get him. Maybe take the albatross that is Biedrins' contract.

[pharmag]

What about the possibility of a 3-way trade between the 3 discussed teams? Not sure how it would play out, but what if one team got Lowry and a pick from us and the other team go the pick from us and a player from the first team? All the Rockets would get is the two picks, but that is the end goal. Don't know the Raptors or Kings roster well enough to know if anything like that is possible or preferable though...

[Rahat Huq]

How many of you would just prefer the two picks over Dwight, considering it might be a rental?

[Ostrow]

I still take D12. This draft doesn't have any superstars. And if we couldn't resign him, maybe the draft in 2 years would

[blakecouey]

Hard choice. Either way, promise or not, I think the smart decision is Dwight. Although if he doesn't resign it looks crappy. The risk youve got to take i guess..

Does anyone else keep refreshing Twitter and all the sports sites hoping for news? Lol.

[JarredAllen]

I say we keep the two Picks. Dwight is a spoiled brat with amazing talent, but I do not see him being interested in playing for the Rockets long term. We would be giving up way too much for only having Dwight for one year. We can't get D-Will and I am not sure who else would sign with us even if we grab D-H. lets take a chance with the draft, unload K-Mart and Lowry, Grab Drummond, Grab lamb, resign Dragic and take a shot with things. I bet morey would want to package Scola and Dalembert and maybe the Mavs pick for a late first, so who knows. One year of Dwight does not convince me that we are contenders and doesn't make sense simply because we would be talking about rebuilding again this time next year with a pick in the late first saying " Damn Dwights gone, we have a late round pick, no talent because we traded it away and must start from scratch". All we would do is piss fans off more by losing everything. Take a chance with Drummond and another player. Drummond could turn into a Bynum or Howard, but he may also bust, but at least we took a risk that will be around for more than a year, act like an adult and maybe take his career seriously. Do we even know how Dwight will respond to back surgery? That's no small issue!

[Jeby]

I wouldn't take the picks over Dwight, straight up. Question: if we blow it up to get those picks, especially if we take Drummond, are we looking at a couple more years with higher lottery picks? Or do we have enough talent with the likes of Dragic, Parsons, Lee and and picks to stay a borderline playoff team?

[Jeby]

Hard choice. Either way, promise or not, I think the smart decision is Dwight. Although if he doesn't resign it looks crappy. The risk youve got to take i guess..

Does anyone else keep refreshing Twitter and all the sports sites hoping for news? Lol.

Totally glued to me computer while wearing a Rox t-shirt for luck!

[Ostrow]

Hard choice. Either way, promise or not, I think the smart decision is Dwight. Although if he doesn't resign it looks crappy. The risk youve got to take i guess..

Does anyone else keep refreshing Twitter and all the sports sites hoping for news? Lol.

I've held out until now. I think I'm getting a Twitter specifically for this

[JarredAllen]

Who says that we get a high draft pick in the years to come? We haven't allowed time for parsons, morris, monte, dragic, lee or patterson to prove themselves as starters. We are jumping the gun for a gut shot chance of getting an egotiscal man child who will leave to join a contender because the rockets wouldn't be one. Play the draft, sign a few free agents like Lou Williams, Asik or Hibbert and maybe go after landry in free agency while moving scola. patterson and landry would do very well.

[blakecouey]

I've held out until now. I think I'm getting a Twitter specifically for this

I gave in at the trade deadline and got one... Seriously nothing better for sports news(and jokes).

[Ostrow]

This just in.. What the Kings want?!! I do this in a heart beat. If this is true I'm not sure why it isn't done.

With three days to go before one of the most intriguing NBA drafts in the past decade, there are increasing signs that Kings (No. 5 pick) are looking to looking to trade down.
ESPN.com's Chad Ford and Marc Stein provided this telling update late last night: "The tipoff that the Kings are likely to deal the No. 5 pick between now and Thursday night, sources say, is the handful of players they've brought in who are expected to be drafted in the middle of the first round. Sources say two of those players in particular -- North Carolina's John Henson and St. John's Moe Harkless -- are high on the Kings' draft board."
The rumor is Houston packaging Samuel Dalembert with the No. 16 pick to move up in the draft and take a player -- UConn center Andre Drummond, perhaps? -- who could then be used in a deal to acquire Orlando's Dwight Howard, but it's unclear at this point if more pieces will be involved in such a deal.

[rockets best fan]

Totally glued to me computer while wearing a Rox t-shirt for luck!

lol I thought I was the only one this crazy. (IMO) rockets better off keeping the 2 draft picks if they can not get howard to sign the dotted line. giving away 2 top ten picks in a deep draft is to much to pay for a rental

[Rahat Huq]

Wow! I'd be shocked if that's all it takes to get the #5. Though I'm sure we'd be taking back a bad contract too to offset Dally, which is fine by me.